1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an ice supply system for a refrigerator having a structure for preventing water from overflowing from an ice tray by vibration and/or other movement of the surrounding refrigerator structure.
2. Description of the Background Art
The following discussion of the background art is a result of the present inventors analysis of the systems and features of searchlight technology of the background art. A refrigerator is an apparatus that includes a food-storage chamber therein for storing foods for a long-term period in a fresh condition. The food-storage chamber is always maintained at a low temperature by a refrigerating cycle for keeping food fresh. The food-storage chamber is divided into a plurality of storage chambers having different characteristics from each other such that a user can choose a food-storage method in consideration of the type, individual characteristics and/or the expiration dates of the individual foods. A typical storage chamber may include a cooling chamber and a freezer portion.
The cooling chamber keeps a temperature at about 3° C.–4° C. for keeping food and vegetables fresh for a long time. The freezer keeps a temperature at a sub-zero temperature (below 0° C.) for keeping and storing meat and fish frozen for a long time and making and storing ice. The refrigerator has been modified for performing various additional functions besides a typical refrigerating function thereof, e.g., a user had to open a door and take out a water bottle kept in the cooling chamber to drink cold water kept in the cooling chamber hitherto. Accordingly, a refrigerator is often supplied with a water dispenser provided at an outside of the door for supplying cold water cooled by cool air of the cooling chamber and the user can therefore obtain a drink of cold water at the exterior of the refrigerator without having to open the door. Furthermore, a refrigerator incorporating a water purifying function added to the water dispenser is also being supplied.
Further, in a case of using ice for drinking and cooking purposes, the user had to typically open the door of the freezer and take ice out of an ice tray provided in the freezer. However, it is relatively inconvenient for the user to open the door, take out the ice tray and separate ice from the ice tray. In addition, when the door is opened, cool air in the freezer leaks out and the temperature of the freezer goes up. Accordingly, the compressor is forced to work harder and longer to maintain the proper freezer temperature while consuming more energy.